The Construction (Design and Management) – (CDM) Regulations of 1994 and their
subsequent revisions have played an important role in improving construction health and
safety management. However, the awareness of corresponding responsibilities and the
intuitive management of relevant knowledge continue to pose the greatest challenges to the
duty holders in terms of implementing the Regulations.
Within the context of established learning styles and teaching techniques, an integrated
problem-based and collaborative learning approach is being adopted in the delivery of a
series of special construction health and safety short courses for construction professionals.
The programmes are attended by an average of ten participants with varied construction
related backgrounds on each of the iterations. Starting from the theoretical framework of the
Regulation requirements, the approach evolves into contextualised problem solving in
respect of each of the stages of the construction process. Well defined pre-selected problem
solving tasks and background related problem solving tasks are collectively applied to
facilitate efficient and effective knowledge transfer and acquisition. A collaborative learning
approach was finally applied to elicit peer knowledge thereby enriching participants’
individual knowledge base of the generic issues. Participant feedback suggests that the
programmes have been successful in achieving their main aim of enabling awareness and
improving the health and safety knowledge and management skills of the practitioners.
Further work is envisaged in extensively reviewing other learning approaches and developing
the more reasonable integrated approach to reflect changes in relevant legislation and the
diversified experience of the practitioners who attend the programme.

The Construction (Design and Management) – (CDM) Regulations of 1994 and their
subsequent revisions have played an important role in improving construction health and
safety management. However, the awareness of corresponding responsibilities and the
intuitive management of relevant knowledge continue to pose the greatest challenges to the
duty holders in terms of implementing the Regulations.
Within the context of established learning styles and teaching techniques, an integrated
problem-based and collaborative learning approach is being adopted in the delivery of a
series of special construction health and safety short courses for construction professionals.
The programmes are attended by an average of ten participants with varied construction
related backgrounds on each of the iterations. Starting from the theoretical framework of the
Regulation requirements, the approach evolves into contextualised problem solving in
respect of each of the stages of the construction process. Well defined pre-selected problem
solving tasks and background related problem solving tasks are collectively applied to
facilitate efficient and effective knowledge transfer and acquisition. A collaborative learning
approach was finally applied to elicit peer knowledge thereby enriching participants’
individual knowledge base of the generic issues. Participant feedback suggests that the
programmes have been successful in achieving their main aim of enabling awareness and
improving the health and safety knowledge and management skills of the practitioners.
Further work is envisaged in extensively reviewing other learning approaches and developing
the more reasonable integrated approach to reflect changes in relevant legislation and the
diversified experience of the practitioners who attend the programme.